History of Padel

From a creative adaptation in Mexico to one of the fastest-growing sports globally

  • New Courts / Year 5,000+

    New Clubs / Year 2,000+

  • Rackets Sold / Year 4.5Mi

    Year Founded 1969

Source: padel.build

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Beginning of Padel

Padel-Tennis, also known as Padel or Paddle, has its origins on a not so popular variant of enclosed Tennis called Platform Tennis.

Enrique Corcuera in 1969 decided to adapt his Squash court at his home in Acapulco (Mexico) with elements of Platform Tennis creating what he called "Paddle Corcuera". He is considered the inventor of Padel.

Alfonso of Hohenlohe-Langenburg tried this new invention at Enrique's home and instantly felt in love. Immediately after, he decided to create the first two Padel courts in a Tennis club in Marbella (Spain), this was 1974.

Nevertheless Alfonso included few modifications from Enrique's original designs to make it more competitive, being this the first of many iterations Padel will have in the following 20 years in Spain.

In the meantime in 1975, Julio Menditeguy an Argentinian member of Alfonso's Tennis club in Marbella felt the same passion and decided to import the sport to Argentina.

Modern Growth

1990s - Spanish Recognition
The sport gains national attention when Spain's Prime Minister is photographed playing Padel in Marbella.


2000-2005 - Spanish Explosion
Padel experiences unprecedented growth in Spain with over 500 clubs established nationwide. Hotels and some tennis clubs begin incorporating Padel courts.


2005 - Professional Circuit Launch
The Padel Pro Tour launches in Spain, marking the first organized professional competition circuit and establishing standardized rules for professional play.


2010s - World Padel Tour Era
The World Padel Tour emerges as the main professional circuit, expanding beyond Spain and South America. This marks true international exposure for the sport.


2018s - Global Phenomenon
Padel enters a phase of explosive international growth, with thousands of new courts and clubs opening worldwide.

Platform Tennis Origins

Present Day

Since 2010 until now, Padel has experienced unprecedented global growth, recognized by major media media like The Telegraph as one of the world's fastest-expanding sports.

The last decade has marked a transformative period for Padel, with an unprecedented expansion in recent years. The scale of growth is remarkable: in just three years, the sport has seen the construction of over 10,000 new courts and the establishment of 3,000 new clubs worldwide - an extraordinary pace of nearly 29 new clubs opening every week.

This explosive growth has established Padel as a major sport across Europe, with strong presence in Spain, Italy, Sweden, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Portugal. The sport continues to gain momentum, particularly in the Middle East.

Latest stats: FIP Padel Statistics

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